A PENARTH woman who has inspired hundreds of people to get on their feet and start walking has won a national award for women in business.

Jane Hafren, of Cosmeston Drive, was presented with the ‘Women’s Role Model and Advocate’ honour at the Women Inspiring Women Awards earlier this month.

Jane, 57, won her category for her work encouraging people to improve their physical health and mental well-being by walking.

She said that it was “absolutely brilliant” and “fantastic” to be presented with the award, which she received at a glittering ceremony at the Macdonald Burlington Hotel in Birmingham, and that she hoped it raised awareness of her bid to get people fit.

Jane is also walking more than 1000miles around the circumference of Wales in aid of the charity Odyssey, which helps support people with a terminal cancer diagnosis.

Jane decided to raise money for the charity after her sister Ali Whillance, who she described as "a positive beacon in a year of dwindling hope", died from cancer in February this year.

Jane has completed 376 miles so far and raised more than £600, as she completes the walk around two weekends a month, but is hoping to reach £5,000 by the end of her challenge.

“I am doing my 'Walk Around Wales at the Weekend' to raise money and support Odyssey's wonderful work. I set out from Chepstow at the end of 2012. It was and is a personal challenge for me. 870 miles around the Welsh Coast and another 176 or so miles along the length of Offa's Dyke which for a lot of the way forms the border between England and Wales - so 1046 miles all together.”

Jane, who calls herself a Walk of Life Coach, has recently started two walking groups locally, Cardiff NetWalks in Bute Park and Fresh Air Fridays in Cosmeston. Cardiff NetWalks is a networking group that meets the last Wednesday of the month for a ‘Business Focused Walk and Talk’, while Fresh Air Fridays, which meet the first Friday of each month, is designed to give people an opportunity to reconnect with the environment and themselves.

“There are two groups of people I am trying to target: people that work in offices and don’t get to walk around much, and people that don’t want to go to the gym but do want to do some form of exercise,” she said.

For people who want to get out walking regularly, several times a week, Jane’s business also offers a 40-day online walking challenge

You can sponsor Jane’s ‘Walk Around Wales at the Weekend’ at https://www.justgiving.com/jane-hafren1/

If you want to find out more about the walking groups, about Jane’s coaching or the 40x40 Walk of Life Challenge, please go to: www.thewalkoflife.co email Jane at jane@thewalkoflife.co, message her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jane.hafren